Alligators should be appreciated, not exploited

In reference to the recent excitement surrounding Mississippi's alligators, I feel a need to voice my disappointment with the media's coverage of the recent hunt. Photos of dead alligators went viral. One hunter admitted to firing his gun with the muzzle underwater. Another account related that it took many shots (up to seven by some accounts) to kill "the beast." One grizzly photo showed a huge specimen hung in gallows-fashion with an arrow protruding from its side. Photos of deer, turkey, and fish are not displayed in this manner.

Two front page articles appeared in the Clarion-Ledger on August 5th. One by Sherry Lucas, presented purely emotional, non-newsworthy viewpoints featuring the opinions of non-experts. The other article by Brian Broom gave factual information provided by experts, Ricky Flynt and myself. People need to understand that American Alligators are important components of the Southern ecosystem. Large males mold the swamp community by keeping other animal populations under control and by building gator-holes that provide water to wildlife during drought. Developers have become wealthy by selling expensive waterfront lots to naïve home buyers who then proceed to complain about everything from, mayflies to alligators.

Leave them alone. Don't feed them. Show common sense and you'll have no trouble with gators. I for one, always feel excited and privileged to find myself in the company of Alligator mississippiensis, and it offends me to see him maligned with misinformation and sensationalism.

Terry L. Vandeventer

Terry

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Alligators should be appreciated, not exploited

In reference to the recent excitement surrounding Mississippi's alligators, I feel a need to voice my disappointment with the media's coverage of the recent hunt. Photos of dead alligators went viral.